2024 saw Air Charter Service reach a new record in its fundraising activities over the year. The global aircraft charter broker’s branches (it has 35 international offices on six continents) managed to raise over USD 200,000 last year, through a very varied series of charitable initiatives, supporting many different charities. It has been involved in fundraising since 2009, when its co-founder, Tina Leach (now retired), created the first official charity committee in London and kicked off charitable activities. Since then, the organization’s efforts have been expanded with the implementation of Regional Charity Committees in 2022 (all volunteer-led), and the formal regulation of according every employee 2 days paid leave each year to engage in community volunteering or charity events. It has, in the past, also matched funds raised by employees for its chosen charity partners. From volunteering through to raffles and challenges such as the one pictured, or unusual events such as wing walking challenges, bake-offs, skydiving, dragon boat racing, plank challenges, or curry-themed evenings, the company’s employees’ creativity knows no limits.
Lloyd Robinson, ACS’s Director of CESR, praised: “The worldwide team has really outdone themselves this year, with a range of physical challenges, including 5 km races, half and full marathons, the UK Three Peaks challenge, climbing Kilimanjaro and a ‘virtual’ run covering the full distance from one side of the USA to the other (around 3,000 miles/4,700 kms). The raffles held at our Christmas parties raised a record amount (USD 42,000) and combined with various bake sales, and other fundraising initiatives, helped to raise a total of over USD 200,000. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one that put in the effort and their hands in their pockets to help to reach this fantastic total. On top of the money-raising activities, we have also been busy organizing other charity events – from staff in our New York office helping out in a Long Island soup kitchen, to our Australian team filling empty leg charter flights in Australia with donations of clothing and toys and flying into rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”
In other Air Charter Service news this week: The aircraft charter specialist announced the opening of a second office in Canada – this time in Montreal, Quebec, in addition to its existing Toronto branch. It now operates 36 international offices. Gary Hopkins, CEO of ACS Canada, commented: “We have been serving the whole of Canada from our Toronto office since opening there 15 years ago, but we’ve been looking at Montreal as a second location for a while now, to better serve Quebec. The city is an important center of commerce, finance, industry and technology and the new operation means that we can be closer to our French-speaking clients in the province.” ACS employee, Adila Djerrar has been appointed to head the Montreal branch. She said: “I can’t wait to get started here and continue the work that my team and I have been doing over the past few months in preparation, and the expansion that we have planned to make Montreal another successful Canadian ACS office.”
